AMA Raises Reimbursement Concerns Over EHR Workarounds

The AMA urges the Office of National Coordinator to address EHR usability concerns raised by physicians, and to take "prompt action to add usability criteria to the EHR certification process," Stack says.

He suggested ONC reconsider Stage 2 of Meaningful Use to allow more flexibility to providers to meet its requirements.

On Monday, the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) called for a one-year extension of Meaningful Use Stage 2. In a statement, CHIME said that the one-year extension would maximize the opportunity of program success.

The organization of healthcare CIOs said the additional 12-months for meeting Stage 2 would give

Providers the opportunity to optimize their EHR technology and achieve the benefits of Stage 1 and Stage 2;

Vendors the time needed to prepare, develop and deliver needed technology to correspond with Stage 3;

CHIME defended much of the federal incentive program's progress to date, arguing that fundamental shifts in health IT adoption and EHR product capabilities have been made possible through the policy of Meaningful Use.

Dr Bones (5/7/2013 at 5:27 PM)
Perhaps providers who work in small practices or those that are using the "free EHR"s have an inability to document a free form note but the majority of large EHR's have this capability. You can even dictate the history and physical and or the clinical notes and have it blown into the chart. It sounds like those practices that went the "cheap" way and didn't invest in any workflow redesign or pay for some consulting time are tripping up but this is the minority.